# Crossword Jewels™ vs Cipher

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Crossword Jewels™ at none against Cipher's 6. Crossword Jewels™ also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). Cipher's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cipher sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Crossword Jewels™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Crossword Jewels™ ships an update every 2 months, Cipher every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword Jewels™ | Cipher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-jewels/id727364962/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.4K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 96.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 54 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Boy Howdy Technology LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/293910537) | [Eldar Tutnjic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1504485100) |

## What reviewers say

### Crossword Jewels™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-jewels/id727364962)

This app offers a vast collection of cryptogram puzzles for users to solve. It challenges your mind to decipher hidden words by identifying letter patterns within a crossword grid. Enjoy a relaxing, timer-free experience with adjustable difficulty levels and helpful hints.

**Highlights:** 100,000 cryptogram puzzles, Relaxing, timer-free gameplay, 7 difficulty levels, Hint and check work functions, Automatic progress saving, Easy touch controls

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and challenging
- 👍 Keeps brain active
- 👍 Variety of difficulty levels
- 👍 No ads or timers
- 👍 Relaxing and enjoyable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing or bugs
- 🔍 Some obscure words
- 🔍 Lack of undo button

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing or locking up during gameplay
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Option to view word definitions
- Ability to choose British spelling


### Cipher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-decode-the-message/id6761147950)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cipher Pass Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Cipher Pass Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| 50 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 120 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 300 Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cipher Pass Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword Jewels™ free?

Crossword Jewels™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cipher free?

Cipher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Crossword Jewels™ or Cipher have ads?

Crossword Jewels™ shows ads; Cipher does not.

### Which is updated more often, Crossword Jewels™ or Cipher?

Crossword Jewels™ ships an update every 2 months, and Cipher every 6 days. Most recently, Crossword Jewels™ was updated on October 16, 2026 and Cipher on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*